Planning on working a summer season in Ibiza? Ibiza in high season is not the best place to be for budget-conscious travellers, but if you're determined to spend some of your gap year abroad partying and lying on the beach then make sure you find a job too.
Accommodation in Ibiza is usually well booked up during July and August.
In relation to the number of visitors, there aren't that many hostel beds on the island.
The next cheapest option is a guesthouse or pension and if you are lucky enough to find one at a good price, just don't expect mod cons.
It hardly seems worth opening a bank account in Ibiza, even if you're working for a whole season as you will be earning so little, and spending so much.
If you are going to be working with all the relevant documentation in place for example: employment contract, "NIF" (tax) number and insurance, then your employer may require you to open a Spanish bank account to pay your wages into.
Opening an account in Spain isn't that complicated, you will need your passport and a deposit.
If you just want to change money, then there are Bureaux De Change at the airport and in all the main tourist thoroughfares.
Bureaux de Change tend to give a faster service than banks, and have longer opening hours.
If you are interested in working as a club rep, many of the largest tour operators sell package holidays to Ibiza.
Otherwise, job opportunities on the island that are more organised and structured are few and far between.
The population of the island swells massively in the summer months, while in the winter the residents shut up their shops, bars and clubs and recover.
The main demand for staff is within the tourism industry during the summer.
And be realistic - everyone wants to work at the Café Del Mar or in El Divino, but you're more likely to find a bar job in a British pub in the west end of San Antoni or in one of the less fashionable resorts.
The advantage of being British or English speaking in Ibiza is that there are so many bars, restaurants and cafes that are run by Brits or Irish people that cater for the huge amounts of British tourists.
This means that speaking English is going to be useful.
However the competition for bar work or jobs in hotels is intense, particularly if you can only commit to working for a month or so, and can only arrive once the season has begun in May.
To stand the best chance of finding a job in Ibiza you need to get there early in the season - start enquiring about work in January and February, be prepared to start work in May, and commit until September.
Get good at whatever it is that you are proposing to do.
Given the choice between an inexperienced Brit and a qualified Spanish barperson who lives on the island, most employers will choose the latter.
Do your research, read some more and contact more people.
The more employers you contact, the greater your chance of finding work.
Be prepared to earn little and live in cramped accommodation while you are working.